Prince Charles has ordered a mass cull of 'invading' grey squirrels on his estates

Prince Charles has ordered a mass cull of 'invading' grey squirrels on his estates to protect trees, endangered native birds and other wildlife.

They have already been blamed for driving out Britain's native red squirrels but the Royal Forestry Society said the rodents have also learnt to strip the bark from native trees.

The Prince of Wales, who is patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, is privately described as 'detesting' greys, according to the Sunday Times.

A spokesman confirmed he had ordered 'the humane and lawful control of grey squirrels' on Duchy of Cornwall land and his other properties, including Birkhall in Scotland.

He said: "The red squirrel is a most cherished and iconic national species, and, as Patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, The Prince of Wales keenly supports all efforts to conserve and promote their diminishing numbers.

"Where appropriate, this includes the humane and lawful control of grey squirrels as well as other measures to enhance the natural habitat of reds across the Duchy of Cornwall estate, in accordance with established estate management practices."

The rodents, now numbering two-and-a-half million, carry a pox virus that is deadly to reds, but they are also thought to be having a much wider impact.

Andrew Woods from the Royal Forestry Society said: 'They have learnt to strip the bark from almost all our native broadleaf trees so that in many areas there are no longer any juvenile oaks.

'They reach the age of 10 to 15 years and then get attacked and die.'

Andrew Woods from the Royal Forestry Society said: 'They have learnt to strip the bark from almost all our native broadleaf trees so that in many areas there are no longer any juvenile oaks.

'They reach the age of 10 to 15 years and then get attacked and die.'

Grey squirrels threaten the government's pledge to increase woodland cover from 10 per cent to 12 per cent of England's land area by 2060.

The Royal Forestry Society said grey squirrels have also learnt to strip the bark from native trees

Simon Lloyd, the RFS development director said: 'They see planting native trees such as oak as pointless because too many will fall prey to squirrels.'

Lord Redesdale, a Liberal Democrat peer, exterminated 23,400 grey squirrels on his land in Northumberland.

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He said: 'My stroke of genius was to find a way of screwing a hazelnut to the pressure plate that actuates the trap.'

There are 17 red squirrel strongholds in northern England with an estimated 140,000 red squirrels left in Britain, but there are thought to be more than 2.5 million greys, according to the Forestry Commission.

They cause an estimated £10million a year in damage to trees, the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said.

A spokeswoman confirmed Prince Charles had ordered 'the humane and lawful control of grey squirrels' on Duchy of Cornwall land and his other properties, including Birkhall in Scotland (pictured)